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I believe in sweeping the church sidewalk. It seems to be an exercise in futility. As I’m sweeping, more leaves are falling, marring the perfection of the freshly swept
sidewalk. But what would happen if I did not sweep the sidewalk? Would that mean that the leaves would win? Can you lose a battle to a leaf? The metaphor du jour of American life is “The War”. The War on Terror. The War on Drugs. The War on Poverty. Everything is a war. But I don’t believe that is true.
I don’t believe that the inherent state of humanity is a struggle. Nor do I believe that that is the inherent goal of the universe. Over my lifetime, I have come to the conclusion that the goal of the universe, and my own personal
goal, should be balance. Having been raised in a Southern Baptist home, I was taught that God was all loving, all powerful, and all knowing. But it became
very hard for me to reconcile a vision of a benevolent George Burns in the sky with the realities of the world around me. So after much soul-searching, listening to such great prophets as George Carlin and Richard Pryor, Madeline L’Engle and Sherri Tepper, Tori Amos and the Indigo Girls, I have finally forged my own belief system. I believe in sweeping the church sidewalk. Sweeping is such a great metaphor for life. It is a task, those daily thankless jobs that make the world go ‘round. Deeds may
make the nightly news, but tasks enable us to watch the nightly news. While deeds might get the glory, there’s nobility in tasks. Tasks are those actions that help keep the world in balance. Tasks
should not be done because you crave applause but because they are the right thing to do. A well-done task is its own reward. This is the approach that I try to take with my own life. I try to do what is right. Wicca has informed my perception of “right” with its three-fold law, so my definition of “right” is not causing harm to anyone, be it physical, mental, or emotional. With a view of
keeping the world in balance, I also realize that without darkness, there can never be light. Evil shall never be eradicated. There is a role in the universe for pain, shame, rage, and all the other dark emotions.
They can never be purged, just as you can never stop the leaves from falling. My view of a world in balance has also been affected by the notion that everyone is ultimately responsible for his or her own actions. Forgiveness, while being a noble virtue, does not wipe the slate clean. This view is due to the actions of my family when I was growing up. Too often I felt that the belief in John 3:16 was used as a cosmic and karmic
“Get-Out-Of-Jail-Free” card. “God has forgiven me, you have to as well.” All too often personal responsibility for actions was disregarded. “It’s all God’s plan”, like it was His
plan for you to act like a jerk. I firmly believe that you, and you alone, are responsible for your actions. I believe that if you make a mess on the sidewalk, I will forgive you, but it is your responsibility to sweep it up. Just because I am not a Christian, that does not mean that I am not an American. I love this country. I would never
consider emigrating. My family has been here for generations. The blood of my forefathers and foremothers is in the soil of this land. I have the honor of being descended from both the original
Jamestown settlement and the Mayflower pilgrims, which gave me a unique perspective in American History class. I also have a perverse joy in thinking of those starch Christians and what they would think of my religious choices. But thankfully I have a choice. The religion of my childhood could not help me deal with my childhood, so I have chosen a different
path. This path encourages me to better myself, gives me a reason to better the world, helps me deal when things go terribly wrong, and grants me hope for the future. I will bring balance to this world, even if it’s only sweeping the church sidewalk. Heather RoyTampa FL March 1, 2006 |
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